(Untitled)

[bennet_beauty]

It was only fitting, Jane believed, that she would hold this party upon such an eventful day. Five years ago, she had arrived upon the island and her whole life had changed. She was no longer the young girl that she had once been and was no longer trapped in the confines of a time when her options were greatly limited. Though the date coincided,

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[honestlyrubbish]

She'd heard that the Bennet Balls occurred with regularity on the island, but that didn't stop Hermione from feeling the need to thank the woman for putting together a gathering that was nothing if not magical, that gave Hermione the excuse to dress up as she saw fit, and that allowed Hermione, most of all, to meet such an inspirational character from the Austen novels, which Hermione had loved in her youth. With a shy smile, she decided to approach Jane at last, calming her skirt with her hands and hoping that she looked relatively put together.

"Mrs. Lipton," she greeted with a slight curtsy. "This is... an absolutely breathtaking experience, I simply felt the need to tell you how grateful I am to be here and taking it all in."

[bennet_beauty]

Jane felt instantly ashamed that she did not know the young girl's name. There was a time when she was far better socialized and knew more of the islands' population, but that had faded with time. Now, as it stood, she did her best, but it felt as though she was disconnected. "It gives me such joy to host such an event, I am only grateful that other people are enjoying it."

"You have me at a disadvantage, I'm afraid. I know you, I know your face familiarly and I know you serve us so adequately upon the Council, but I cannot remember your name," she admitted with dismay.

[honestlyrubbish]

That Jane Bennet didn't know Hermione's name was not something that she would have held against anyone on the island, much less her in specific. There were plenty of affairs for a person to be preoccupied with, for a person to care about more than those who sat on the Council, and the swell of Jane's belly was one which practically seemed to stare them in the face. Hermione was only ever on the Council to serve the needs of the populace, but to anyone who felt that they didn't need to concern themselves with the intricacies, Hermione certainly felt no need to force it upon them

[bennet_beauty]

"I used to be far more active in knowing people," Jane admitted, and hated that things had changed. She was so grateful for the cause, as it had given her a daughter and she would not trade Lydia for the world, but there were times when she reminisced fondly about the way it used to be. "But then, then I had my daughter. I found I had less time to meet people with a newborn, but I would not trade it for anything."

"Officially, it is a great pleasure to meet you, Miss Granger. Are you enjoying the evening?" Jane asked, eager for an answer to her most valued question.

[honestlyrubbish]

"And I can assure you, no one would ever judge you for choosing to spend more time with your daughter rather than the rest of the island populace," Hermione smiled widely, unable to help the faint tinge that rose to her cheeks at the mere thought of raising a child. While she wasn't even close to being prepared for any of her own, the island had certainly given Hermione more opportunities to engage with children, and she cherished every single chance. There really did seem to be something magical about them, children, which she'd never experienced before, having been an only child and from a rather small family. "I'm sure that the vast majority of us are envious, in fact."

Shyly pressing her lips together, Hermione nodded as she glanced over the party guests again. "But yes, I'm certainly enjoying myself. I've always loved the idea of a ball, although the only one I've been to prior to this one ended rather disastrously. I have to say that this experience is much improved. Everything's so... beautiful."

[bennet_beauty]

"Disastrously?" Jane echoed the troubling word as a furrow grew upon her forehead. She did not like the thought of anyone's evening turning into something less than enjoyable, even if she had not put the event together. "I hope that it is nothing that might be repeated here?" she spoke, slightly fretful as she wrung out her hands.

[honestlyrubbish]

Immediately shaking her head at the sight of the knit in Jane's brow, Hermione sought to reassure the other woman as quickly as possible. "Oh no, certainly not," Hermione quickly said, waving her hand dismissively. "The problems that I had with the previous ball had absolutely nothing to do with the venue, nor the entertainment and refreshments... I think most of it boiled down to the fact that I was only fifteen at the time, and at such an age, boys can be quite the frustration."

Her expression warmed into one more light and teasing. "Although actually, now that I think about it, I don't think four years have changed all that much, in this respect."